1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an apparatus for applying seasoning to snack food products such as potato chips, tortilla chips, corn chips, and the like. More particularly, the invention relates to an apparatus for applying seasoning in a two-dimensional pattern.
2. Description of Related Art Snack food products, particularly seasoned snacks, are popular snack choices with consumers. For example, potato chips, tortilla chips, corn chips, and the like are seasoned prior packaging. To season, snack food products are typically seasoned by sprinkling one or more seasonings onto the surface of the snack food products. The seasonings for snacks include salt, barbecue flavoring, sour cream and onion flavor, vinegar flavor, cheese, and others.
Seasoning is spread onto the snacks by sprinkling on the surface of the products after they have been cooked but prior to packing. The application and distribution of the seasoning onto the snacks is a factor in product quality. If the seasoning is deposited onto the snacks in clumps some snacks receive excessive amounts of the desired quantity of seasoning while others receive less than desired amounts of seasoning. Basically, the overall quality of the snacks will be poor if the seasoning is applied too clumpy. In addition to the aesthetic aspects of seasoning distribution, economics suffer if the seasoning is applied inefficiently.
In FIG. 1, a prior art seasoning applicator 10 is shown for seasoning snack food products 12. Unseasoned snack food products 12 enters cylindrical drum 14 at one end through a funnel 18. The end of the drum 14 through which the snack food products 12 are introduced is with respect to a discharge end 20. Thereby, snack food products 12 are moved by gravity toward discharge end 20. As drum 14 is axially rotated, baffles 16, which extend longitudinally along the interior surface of drum 14, lift food products 12 to aid in applying the seasoning. A seasoning dispenser 22 has a tube portion 24 that extends into drum 14. Within tube 24 is an auger 26 that is in communication with seasoning hopper 30. As auger 26 is spun, seasoning from hopper 30 is carried through tube 24 and exits through apertures 32 which are disposed on a portion of tube 24 that extends into drum 14. As seasoning is supplied into drum 14, a seasoning curtain 34 is formed through which snack food products 12 pass through.
As shown in the prior art device of FIG. 1, conventional seasoning dispensers apply seasoning in powder form onto snack food products through a tube having holes or slots. Other prior art devices apply seasoning from an edge of a vibrating pan that extends into a drum. With either type of device, a one dimensional flow pattern of seasoning is applied as a curtain. To achieve a desired amount of seasoning across the surfaces of the snack chips, enough seasoning must be applied via the curtain. Since snack products have curved shapes and are fed into the drum in multiples, certain areas will be restricted from receiving seasoning directly from the seasoning curtain. Thereby, the drum rotation is further needed to apply the remaining seasoning onto these uncoated areas. Additionally, the curtain of seasoning created is often discontinuous because of equipment adjustment or from the flow properties of the seasoning powder. The result of this seasoning is often sub-optimal coverage because of the uneven coverage across the snack products.
Consequently, a need exists for a seasoning device that provides uniform seasoning coverage onto snack products. An applicator that can apply seasoning over a wider area as opposed to a curtain will produce more uniform coverage. Thereby, snack products with uniform seasoning coverage could be produced.
An exemplary embodiment of the invention is for a seasoning applicator for applying seasoning onto snack food products traveling on a tumbling bed. The seasoning applicator comprises a seasoning assembly having first and second layers wherein the first layer is disposed above the second layer. The first layer and second layer have a screen extending across a portion of each, which allows seasoning to pass there through. To promote the seasoning through the screens, a vibratory mechanism is disposed in communication with the seasoning assembly. Upon vibrating, seasoning supplied to the top layer passes through the top screen and then into the second layer. The seasoning in the second layer is then passed through the bottom screen to create a two-dimensional seasoning pattern for seasoning the snack food products that is disposed beneath the seasoning assembly.
In another embodiment of the seasoning applicator, one or more partition walls are provided in the top layer. These partition walls extend upward from the top screen and across the interior portion of the upper layer. By using partition walls, a smaller region of seasoning passing through to the second layer is created. This allows for control of the size of two-dimensional seasoning pattern, which can then be set according a predetermined width and/or length.
To facilitate the disintegration of any clusters of seasoning, one or more shaped objects such as balls can be included in the second layer. Thereby, any seasoning clusters, which are large particles of seasoning adhering to each other, are reduced in size to promote uniform seasoning and to prevent obstruction of the holes in the screens.
The above as well as additional features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following written detailed description.